Mattress structure



`June 14, 1960 M. KOENIGSBERG 2,940,089

MATTRESS STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 24, 1956 f Il im un@ Patented June i4, 1960 MATTRESS STRUCTURE Max Koenigsherg, Highland Park, Ill., assignor to The Englander Company, Inc., Chicago, lll., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 24, 1956, Ser. No. 630,269

11 Claims. (Cl. 5-351) The present invention relates to a novel mattress or cushion structure of the type which may be use'` on beds, couches and the like. ln accordance with present practices of making standard inner spring mattresses or cushion units, a spring unit is provided which is then covered with suitable padding material and iinally with ticking which has upper and lower panels and a border strip. The border strip is usually cut and sewn to size and then is sewn to the margins of the upper and lower ticking panels which have first been assembled over and beneath the spring unit and its associated padding. Since the making of spring units is largely a hand operation, the spring units often vary somewhat in length and width so that the border strip which has been preformed may not be the right length to fit properly around the spring unit. Thus, a workman frequently encounters considerable difficulty in fitting a border strip around a spring unit which may be either over or under sized.

itis an important object of the present invention to provide a novel mattress structure or the like having a border strip assembly which is formed so that it may be easily and quickly applied around spring units of various sizes in a manner which not only facilitates economical production of the mattress structure but also provides the margin of the mattress structure with a firm, smooth and pleasing appearance.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel mattress structure which includes a preassembled border strip assembly which not only facilitates production of the mattress but also serves resiliently to support the edges of the mattress so as to restrain undue collapsing or sagging of such edges.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanynig drawings wherein:

Fig. i is a fragmentary perspective View of a mattress structure incorporating the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2 2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of a novel border strip assembly incorporating the features of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View showing a further slightly modiiied form of the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional View on a reduced scale taken along line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a mattress structure 10 incorporating features of the present invention is shown in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 6. This structure includes a coil spring unit 12 of known construction and having a pluralty of coil springs 14 which are interconnected with each other and arranged so as to provide the spring unit with a rectangular configuration of generally predetermined size or length and width. However, as mentioned hereinabove, the length and width of the. spring unit may vary slightly as a result of inaccuracies in the workmanship. insulators i6 and 18 cover opposite sides of the spring unit, and pads 26 andl 22 of suitable material arey placed over the insulators and are, in turn, covered by upper and lower panels 24 and 26 of ticking. The periphery of the mattress structure is enclosed by a preassembled border strip assembly 28 described in detail below.

The border strip assembly 28 comprises an elongated strip 30 of ticking material which is cut and sewn to predetermined dimensions and is adapted to have its upper and lower margins sewn or otherwise secured to the upper and lower ticking panels 24 and 26 as indicated at 32 and 34; t is important to note that the border strip assembly also includes a relatively' thick' elongated block or strip 36 of resilient padding material which is preferably a foam rubber or rubber-like material. The padding block is permanently attached to the strip 3i) by means of a plurality of spaced rivet-like units 3S which include perforated heads 40 so that they provide vents for the interior of the mattress structure. However, it is to be understood that the block 36 may be secured to the strip 30 by other means such as adhesives or sewing. Furthermore, the block 36 may be formed in a single piece or it may be made up from a plurality of pieces disposed in end to end relationship which combine together to provide the block 36 with the desired predetermined length.

The height of the block 36 is less than that of the strip 30 but is slightly greater than the distance between opposite end coils of the springs `14. In assembling the border strip assembly with the mattress structure, the block 36 is wedged between the opposite end coils of the springs 14 as shown best in Fig. 2 and is secured at spaced intervals to the coils by staples or clips 42. ln the event the spring unit is provided with border wires, the block or paddingV strip 36 may be stapled or other- Wise secured to the border wires. Then the upper aud lower margins of the strip 3'are sewn or otherwise secured to the upper and lower ticking panels in the usual manner. It is to be particularly noted that the relatively thick padding strip or block 36 may be inserted different amounts between the end coils of the peripherally arranged springs of the spring unit, or in other words', the block 36 may be laterally adjusted with r'espect to the springs to diderent positions prior to being stapled or clipped to the springs. With this adjustment,y the operator is enabled to fit the border strip assembly to spring units of various dimensions without diiiiculty and in a manner which prevents either bunching or undue stretching of the border strip assembly. It is also to be noted that the resilient block or strip 36 yieldabl'y reinforces or supports the extreme margins of the mattress structure.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the present invention which is similar to the above described structure as iridicated by the application of identical reference numerals with the suffix a added to corresponding elements. In this embodiment, the height of the resilient border pad or block 36a is increased and the block is provided With slots 44 and 46 adjacent its upper and lower edges for receiving the upper and lower margins of the spring unit in the manner shown. As a result, opposite marginal ange portions 48 and 50 of the resilient block extend over opposite side edge portions of the spring unit and the insulators so as to insure proper padding of the edges of the mattress structure. It will be appreciated that the depth of the slots 44 and 46 still enable the block 36a to be adjusted laterally with respect to the spring unit for accommodating the spring units of varclaims. VV36, while preferably being preassembled with and seions sizes. In this embodiment the opposite side pads 20a and 22a are formed from felt or the like. However, Fig. shows a further slight modification as indicated by the sufx b added'after theV reference numerals wherein the pads 20b and 22h are formed from foam rubber.

While the preferred embodiments of the present inven-V tion have been shown and described herein, it is ob vious that many structuralrdetails may be changed with- -out departing from the spirit and scope of the appended For example, the resilient border strip or block cured directly to the strip 30, may be secured toqthe spring unit separately from the border strip 30.

The invention is claimed as follows: l. A mattress structure comprising a coil spring unit, upper and lower panels covering said spring unit, and aborder strip assembly including a relatively thick resilient strip-like block means wedgeable to a selected ldepthbetween and yieldably supporting upper and lower peripheral margins of the spring unit and extending substantially continuously entirely around the spring unit,

Y means securing said block means at spaced intervals to said spring unit, and a fabric border strip encircling said unit againsty an outer surface of said block means and having upper and lower margins secured to peripheral margins to said upper and lower panels.

V2. A mattress structure compris-ing a coil'spring unit, upper and lowerpanels covering opposite sides of said spring unit, and a preassembledborder strip assembly including a relatively thick strip-like blockrmeanssof foam rubberdike material and a fabric strip disposed against an outer surface of and secured to said block means, said block meansbeing wedg'eable to a selected depth betweenupper and lower peripheral margins of said spring unit and substantialy continuously encircling said spring unit, and said fabric strip having7 upper' and lower margins secured to peripheral margins of ,said

upper and lower panels." i

3. A mattress structure comprising a coil'springunit, upper and lower panels covering opposite sides of said spring unit, and a border strip assembly including a relatively thick resilient strip-like block means extending substantially continuously entirely Varound said spring Y 'unit and having deep longitudinally extending slots gadjacent to but spaced from its upper and lower margins and laterally adjustably receiving upper and lower peripheral margins of said spring unit, and a fabric border strip encircling saidunit against an outersurface of said block means and having its'upper and lower margins secured to peripheral margins of said upper and lower panels.

4. A mattress structure comprising a coil spring unit,

upper and lower foam rubber-like material pads sub stantially covering opposite sides of said springunit and having peripheral edges spaced from peripheral marginal portions of opposite sides of said spring unit, upper and lower cover panels covering said pads, and a border strip assembly including a relatively thick strip-like block of foam rubber-like material extending substantially continuously entirely around said spring unit, said block being wedgeable to a selected depth between and supporting said upper and lower peripheral marginal portions of said spring unit and including upper and lower marginal flange portions respectively covering said upper and lower marginal portions of the spring unit, means securing said block at spaced intervals to said spring unit, and a fabric border strip encircling said Vspring unit against an outer surface ofsaid block and having upper and lower margins secured to peripheral margins lof said upper and lower panels;

5.V A preassembl'ed border strip assembly` for'use in spring mattress structures or .the like, comprising a fabric border strip of predetermined length for encircling a mattress structure or the like, and relatively thick strip` like block means of foam rubber-like material secured to and substantially co-extensive in length with said fabric strip and adapted to be wedged to a selected depth between upper and lower peripheral margins of a spring unit of Va mattress structure or the like for adapting the -border strip assembly to be applied to spring units of different dimensions.Y

6. A border strip assembly, as defined in claim 5, which includes rivet-like means having perforated heads securing said fabric strip and said block means together at spaced intervals and also providing vents.

7. A border strip assembly, as defined in claim 5, wherein said block means is formed in one piece.

8. A border strip assembly, as del'ined in claim 5, wherein upper and lower margins of said block means are disposed well within upper and lower margins of said fabric strip.

9. A border. strip assembly, as dei-ined in claim 5, wherein said block means includes relatively deep longitudinally extending slot means adjacent to and spaced inwardly from its upper and lower margins for adjustably receiving upper and lowerV peripheral margins oi? a spring unitV or the like.

10. A mattress structure as set forth in claim 3 Wherein said block means extend verticallyifro'm said upper panel to said lower panel. v w

l1. A border strip assembly asset forth in claim 5 wherein said block means are of such width as to eX- tend substantially throughout the vertical thickness of said mattress structure or the like, said block means including relatively deep longitudinally `extending slot means adjacent to and spaced inwardly'from its vupper and lower margins for adjustably receiving upper and lower peripheral margins of a spring unit or the like.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITEDVSTATES PATENTS 

